This visit to the St. Augustine Tower, Church
of St. Augustine Ruins, UNESCO Monument, Old Goa, Goa, was a part of the Goa
Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage sites, organized by Aatrupadai, from 5th December 2025 to 7th December 2025. Thanks
to திருச்சி பார்த்தி for organising the Heritage walk.
Churches & Convents
of Goa have been inscribed on the World Heritage List of the Convention
concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage on October
20, 1986. Inscription on this list confirms the exceptional universal value of
a cultural or natural site which deserves protection for the benefit of all
humanity. This UNESCO monument comprises churches, which includes dilapidated
Church of St. Augustine Ruins. The list of Monuments are…
1.
Basilica of Bom Jesus
2.
Church of St. Augustine
3.
Church of Our Lady of Rosary
4.
Chapel of St. Catherine
5.
Church of St. Francis of ASSISI
6.
SE' Cathedral
7.
Chapel of St. Cajetan.
THE TOWER OF THE
CHURCH OF St. AUGUSTINE.
This forty six
metre high colossal-four storied, arched belfry tower, built of laterite, formed
part of the facade of the church of St. Augustine, facing the ruins of eight
chapels, four altars and extensive. A convent with numerous cells may be seen.
This tower and church were built in 1602 by the St. Augustinian friars.
The church of Our
Lady of grace popularly known as St. Augustine church is situated on the holy
hill at Old Goa. This church belongs to the Augustinian order, which came to Goa
and established its convent in 1572. Later, the College of Populo was added
to it in 1602. The Portuguese government banned the religious order of the Augustinians
in 1832, and by 1835, all the Augustinians were forced to leave Goa. The church
was abandoned, and the huge vault collapsed in 1842; its architectural
members were auctioned off by the government in 1845.
Its facade and
towers fell down in 1931 and in 1938. It was the largest church complex with a seminary, a convent, a library, cloisters, dormitories, galleries and many
cells. Different travellers have quoted about the grandeur of the church. The
discovery of relics of Queen Saint Ketevan (from Georgia, south of Russia) was
also a noteworthy discovery of the excavations carried out at this site in
2004.
Friars of the Augustinian
order arrived in Goa in 1572 and built a small convent on holy hill, and later
it was enlarged. The convent building has three storey provided with two large
stone staircases leading to the floors above. On entering the convent, there
were two cloisters, corridors, pillars, galleries, halls having numerous rooms, a refectory (dining hall), a guest house and an infirmary (first aid), which were very
spacious. It also had vast dormitories and numerous cells and other structures, which are now in ruins.
The Archaeology Survey of India has been carrying out scientific clearance of the ruins since
1998 and simultaneous conservation of the site. The results are clearly evident
on comparison with shots taken in the film Gumnam (1970's) where the title song was
pictured.
Ref:
Archaeological
Survey of India display board.
LOCATION OF THE
MONUMENT: CLICK HERE
Underground passage
--- OM SHIVAYA
NAMA--
No comments:
Post a Comment